Seeking common ground: Local police reflect on unrest in Missouri

Published: Sunday, August 24, 2014 at 3:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, August 22, 2014 at 10:32 p.m.

"I told my boys, if you get pulled over, be polite and do exactly what the officers tell you to do," said Melinda Lowrance, chapter president of the NAACP in Hendersonville.

It was decades ago when Lowrance's teen son was stopped and searched under suspicion of drug activity after playing a game of basketball at Green Meadows — an area then known for drugs.

After Lowrance started her Mop Head cleaning business in the '80s, she, too, piqued the curiosity of police on several occasions when she drove different cars to buildings she cleaned along Seventh Avenue. The attention spurred her to write down all of her license plates numbers so the police could know who she was.

The recent shooting of an African-American teen by a white police officer in a city 625 miles away has resurrected a fear among some residents that police have tried to dispel here.

"We realize we are often the most visible and one of the most scrutinized agents of our system of government. But realize that we may be the most misunderstood entity as well," said Hendersonville Police Chief Herbert Blake.

"This is why, when we implemented an annual firearms training simulator showing an array of the challenges and split-second decisions an officer may have to make, we invited some key community leaders to attend. And over the past few years, I have made it a practice to spend some one-on-one time with each new police officer in their patrol car, at the end of their field training — the chief's ride along — to personally convey our values and reinforce the kind of culture I hope to foster as their chief," Blake added.

HPD and Henderson County Sheriff's Office officials say they have worked hard to strengthen their relationships with the public they serve and protect, creating or participating in programs that bring them together with the community. Whether increasing police presence in schools and on city streets, offering training classes or giving the public inside looks at law enforcement, they say they are trying to connect with people on a more personal level.

The shooting in Ferguson, Mo., sent shockwaves throughout the nation, sparking rallies from Seattle, Wash., to Pittsburgh, Pa.

"I realize these are some delicate, perhaps defining times for the police profession because of what is being depicted in Missouri," Blake said. "If nothing else, what happened in Ferguson becomes a vicarious negative experience for some of our citizens.

"And yes, things can go wrong. I understand. When people see someone they can relate to encounter questionable or excessive use of force actions by law enforcement, it hits home. It can generate a groundswell of concerns in some communities about how the police interact with specific demographics, particularly with use of force."

Lowrance has high praise for the Hendersonville Police Department, which she says has made great strides since a non-fatal, police-involved shooting in Green Meadows sparked controversy in 2012. Fletcher Smiley, a habitual felon suspected of burglary, was shot in the arm as he attempted to flee from police on March 9. The shooting, which left bullet holes in nearby homes, spurred the creation of the local NAACP chapter.

"After that shooting in Green Meadows, they were trying everything they could to build rapport with the black community," Lowrance said.

Blake was a guest speaker at the chapter and invited Lowrance to sit in on an officer's training session.

"I know that Chief Blake is doing the best he can to make sure his officers treat us with respect," she said.

But Lowrance added that police-involved shootings aren't black and white; they are "happening to non-minority kids too." She believes a solution may lie in more public awareness, a community discussion on relations, a positive presence of the police and a little extra parenting at home.

"Maybe within our community, we need to be educating our young folks about law enforcement and about right and wrong. It starts at home," Lowrance said.

Building relationships

The police department has added a second school resource officer to cover the city's schools and permanent beat patrols on Main Street and Seventh Avenue to give the public a familiar face.

To bolster community awareness and engage positive interactions, the department offers motorcycle safety classes, Rape Aggression Defense classes and an Alive @ 25 Young Driver Safety training course to cut down on motor vehicle accidents — the leading cause of accidental deaths for young adults.

The department has been a forerunner and annual participant with the Attorney General's Badges for Baseball program, hosted by the Henderson County Boys and Girls Club. The initiative pairs law enforcement with area youths as mentors and coaches using baseball and softball to engage kids with positive role models, Blake said.

"We are progressively implementing crisis intervention training in partnership with the National Alliance for Mental Illness Four Seasons, to try to ensure that our citizens with mental illness issues receive the proper response from our officers," Blake said.

The department recently implemented a Department of Juvenile Justice initiative called "Pizza with the Police," to help officers connect and build positive experiences with at-risk or delinquent juveniles over lunch.

The Police Department's communications supervisor also spearheaded an initiative to teach some of the city's youngest residents how to use 911 with a 911 simulator.

Sheriff's Office

The Sheriff's Office reaches out to the community through its DARE, Explorer and Adopt-a-School programs (for youths) and Citizens Academy and Community Watch programs (adults).

"We try to educate the public as to who we are, really," said Sheriff Charlie McDonald. "We feel like if people really see who we are, they're generally going to like us. I tell my officers... 'in this community you have this good thing going for you. Most people genuinely like us or they trust us. Don't ever give them a reason not to.'"

In a recent survey of county residents, conducted by Western Carolina University's Public Policy Institute, a majority of respondents (75 percent) viewed the overall job performance of the Sheriff's Office as either "excellent" or "good." A majority (65.5 percent) also believed that the general public opinion of the department was either "excellent" or "good."

However, most of the survey respondents were caucasian (96 percent), elderly (median age of 64) and homeowners (97 percent).

"We don't ever want to take it for granted, so we look at every call and every interaction as an opportunity for us to let folks know we're a part of this community," McDonald said. "We're not somebody from outside monitoring everything that goes on in Henderson County... We're the sons and the daughters of this county as well."

The Sheriff's Office holds free public classes for people to learn how to prepare for disasters and avoid becoming a victim. The department will join others in the county in an Emergency Preparedness Fair at Jackson Park on Oct. 4, and will also be recruiting at the N.C. Apple Festival and N.C. Mountain State Fair.

"I think law enforcement in general, but particularly as a Sheriff's Office, what we do has to be in partnership with the community. It can't be in opposition to the community," McDonald said.

A community's trust is vital, he added. "If people don't trust who we are and why we do our job, then when we need their support we may not have it. It works both ways."

<p>"I told my boys, if you get pulled over, be polite and do exactly what the officers tell you to do," said Melinda Lowrance, chapter president of the NAACP in Hendersonville. </p><p>It was decades ago when Lowrance's teen son was stopped and searched under suspicion of drug activity after playing a game of basketball at Green Meadows — an area then known for drugs.</p><p>After Lowrance started her Mop Head cleaning business in the '80s, she, too, piqued the curiosity of police on several occasions when she drove different cars to buildings she cleaned along Seventh Avenue. The attention spurred her to write down all of her license plates numbers so the police could know who she was.</p><p>The recent shooting of an African-American teen by a white police officer in a city 625 miles away has resurrected a fear among some residents that police have tried to dispel here.</p><p>"We realize we are often the most visible and one of the most scrutinized agents of our system of government. But realize that we may be the most misunderstood entity as well," said Hendersonville Police Chief Herbert Blake. </p><p>"This is why, when we implemented an annual firearms training simulator showing an array of the challenges and split-second decisions an officer may have to make, we invited some key community leaders to attend. And over the past few years, I have made it a practice to spend some one-on-one time with each new police officer in their patrol car, at the end of their field training — the chief's ride along — to personally convey our values and reinforce the kind of culture I hope to foster as their chief," Blake added. </p><p>HPD and Henderson County Sheriff's Office officials say they have worked hard to strengthen their relationships with the public they serve and protect, creating or participating in programs that bring them together with the community. Whether increasing police presence in schools and on city streets, offering training classes or giving the public inside looks at law enforcement, they say they are trying to connect with people on a more personal level. </p><p>The shooting in Ferguson, Mo., sent shockwaves throughout the nation, sparking rallies from Seattle, Wash., to Pittsburgh, Pa. </p><p>"I realize these are some delicate, perhaps defining times for the police profession because of what is being depicted in Missouri," Blake said. "If nothing else, what happened in Ferguson becomes a vicarious negative experience for some of our citizens. </p><p>"And yes, things can go wrong. I understand. When people see someone they can relate to encounter questionable or excessive use of force actions by law enforcement, it hits home. It can generate a groundswell of concerns in some communities about how the police interact with specific demographics, particularly with use of force."</p><p>Lowrance has high praise for the Hendersonville Police Department, which she says has made great strides since a non-fatal, police-involved shooting in Green Meadows sparked controversy in 2012. Fletcher Smiley, a habitual felon suspected of burglary, was shot in the arm as he attempted to flee from police on March 9. The shooting, which left bullet holes in nearby homes, spurred the creation of the local NAACP chapter.</p><p>"After that shooting in Green Meadows, they were trying everything they could to build rapport with the black community," Lowrance said.</p><p>Blake was a guest speaker at the chapter and invited Lowrance to sit in on an officer's training session. </p><p>"I know that Chief Blake is doing the best he can to make sure his officers treat us with respect," she said.</p><p>But Lowrance added that police-involved shootings aren't black and white; they are "happening to non-minority kids too." She believes a solution may lie in more public awareness, a community discussion on relations, a positive presence of the police and a little extra parenting at home. </p><p>"Maybe within our community, we need to be educating our young folks about law enforcement and about right and wrong. It starts at home," Lowrance said.</p><p><b>Building relationships </b></p><p>The police department has added a second school resource officer to cover the city's schools and permanent beat patrols on Main Street and Seventh Avenue to give the public a familiar face. </p><p>To bolster community awareness and engage positive interactions, the department offers motorcycle safety classes, Rape Aggression Defense classes and an Alive @ 25 Young Driver Safety training course to cut down on motor vehicle accidents — the leading cause of accidental deaths for young adults. </p><p>The department has been a forerunner and annual participant with the Attorney General's Badges for Baseball program, hosted by the Henderson County Boys and Girls Club. The initiative pairs law enforcement with area youths as mentors and coaches using baseball and softball to engage kids with positive role models, Blake said.</p><p>"We are progressively implementing crisis intervention training in partnership with the National Alliance for Mental Illness Four Seasons, to try to ensure that our citizens with mental illness issues receive the proper response from our officers," Blake said. </p><p>The department recently implemented a Department of Juvenile Justice initiative called "Pizza with the Police," to help officers connect and build positive experiences with at-risk or delinquent juveniles over lunch.</p><p>The Police Department's communications supervisor also spearheaded an initiative to teach some of the city's youngest residents how to use 911 with a 911 simulator.</p><p><b>Sheriff's Office </b></p><p>The Sheriff's Office reaches out to the community through its DARE, Explorer and Adopt-a-School programs (for youths) and Citizens Academy and Community Watch programs (adults).</p><p>"We try to educate the public as to who we are, really," said Sheriff Charlie McDonald. "We feel like if people really see who we are, they're generally going to like us. I tell my officers... 'in this community you have this good thing going for you. Most people genuinely like us or they trust us. Don't ever give them a reason not to.'"</p><p>In a recent survey of county residents, conducted by Western Carolina University's Public Policy Institute, a majority of respondents (75 percent) viewed the overall job performance of the Sheriff's Office as either "excellent" or "good." A majority (65.5 percent) also believed that the general public opinion of the department was either "excellent" or "good."</p><p>However, most of the survey respondents were caucasian (96 percent), elderly (median age of 64) and homeowners (97 percent).</p><p>"We don't ever want to take it for granted, so we look at every call and every interaction as an opportunity for us to let folks know we're a part of this community," McDonald said. "We're not somebody from outside monitoring everything that goes on in Henderson County... We're the sons and the daughters of this county as well." </p><p>The Sheriff's Office holds free public classes for people to learn how to prepare for disasters and avoid becoming a victim. The department will join others in the county in an Emergency Preparedness Fair at Jackson Park on Oct. 4, and will also be recruiting at the N.C. Apple Festival and N.C. Mountain State Fair.</p><p>"I think law enforcement in general, but particularly as a Sheriff's Office, what we do has to be in partnership with the community. It can't be in opposition to the community," McDonald said. </p><p>A community's trust is vital, he added. "If people don't trust who we are and why we do our job, then when we need their support we may not have it. It works both ways." </p><p>Reach Weaver at Emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.</p>